


Lady

by EaSnowPw



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Porn With Plot, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 18:20:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17533820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaSnowPw/pseuds/EaSnowPw
Summary: "I hope you are familiar with the Sorcerers of the Aphrodite Temple?""Yes. Old ally. We offer each other shelter from time to time.""Good. You've done your homework. Their Lady wants to speak to you."





	Lady

The sanctum was empty, with the sole exception of the Sorcerer Supreme and his cloak. Wong would drop by from time to time, mainly to make sure Stephen hadn't finally cracked under all the pressure and lost his mind. The Avengers occasionally needed him, but they could mostly manage things by themselves. He was usually busy, anyway. Interdimensional threats, rogue sorcerers, the like. His job didn't leave much room for feeling lonely. That didn't mean he never felt it, but it could usually be ignored by studying or other distractions.  
One day, Wong called him to Kamar Taj.  
"Sorcerer Supreme business," was the explanation he received on the way. "I hope you are familiar with the Sorcerers of the Aphrodite Temple?"  
"Yes. Old ally. We offer each other shelter from time to time."  
"Good. You've done your homework. Their Lady wants to speak to you."  
And Stephen was shoved into the meeting room.  
There was a cloaked figure (woman, as far as he knew they were all women) sitting on one side of the low table. Her robes were crimson red, hiding her frame. Only her soft creamy pale hands were visible. He hid his frown. As far as he knew, only the leader could wear crimson and it showed that she came in power with bloodshed. Some very ruthless ladies had worn that colour.  
Stephen sat on the other side of the table.  
"My name is..."  
"Doctor Stephen Strange, current Sorcerer Supreme at Kamar Taj. I know," she quickly said. Her voice was on the rougher edge of female tonality, but not to the point it bothered him.  
'Well, then...'  
"I am Lady Sia of the Sorcerers of the Aphrodite Temple. Are you aware of our alliance?"  
"Yes. We usually offer each other shelter in times of need. Is there such a need currently?"  
"Unfortunately so." She let her cowl down, revealing a round face, with big dark eyes, watching him behind long, straight eyelashes. She ran her hands through her dark brown hair, framing her face gracefully, and pulled it out of her robes. It fell to her waist. Her full lips briefly shifted into a grimace. "People in our world have grown wary of magic and other temples have already fallen. It is only a matter of time until we are attacked." Stephen nodded in understanding. "Will you honour our alliance and offer shelter in our time of need?"  
"Yes, the alliance will be honoured." Her posture visibly relaxed. "How many people are we receiving?"  
"Roughly 30. We would also prefer to be housed in the same place."  
"I cannot make any promises on that, but I will do my best."  
"Then at least groups of 10 together. I myself am the only one willing to be separated from the group." He hummed in thought. "Our people care a lot about purity. Many strong sorcerers were born the last time we mingled." There was a slight deadpan in her voice.  
"I will instruct my people not to try anything rash."  
"Thank you, but there is hardly a need to concern yourself with that. Our rules, our problem. Respecting my housing demands is already kind enough. I will also need a place to store our library books and relics."  
"Of course."  
"Thank you." The woman sighed. "Anything you might need to know?"  
Stephen thought about it. Most details had been set. He just needed to talk with the masters and arrange for their stay.  
"When can we expect your arrival?"  
"In a week or two. Hopefully not any sooner."  
He nodded.  
"For how long will you be staying?"  
"A year, at most. A few months, at least." He hesitated before asking his next question, eyes going over her body. More specifically, her robe. She noticed. "Ask away."  
"This is a personal question... it might be inappropriate." She nodded her consent. "Your robes... I know about your people, what the crimson colour means."  
A sigh escaped her lips.  
"I didn't want to be Lady of the Temple. I was helping a friend train for the position. She had a rival. A ruthless girl, violent and self-centered. They fought one night, unofficially, and my friend died. I demanded justice. The Lady said it had been a simple fight to decide her follower and my friend unfortunately lost. I couldn't have that. They were going to crown that arrogant woman the next day. I challenged her for the title. It was only accepted because they wanted to... How do your people say it? Teach me a lesson. Yet I won. Both the title and the robe. This is a personal story, but I want you to trust me. I know my robes inspire anything but."  
Stephen nodded. Her story didn't make him lean either way.  
"Thank you for telling me. I believe this would be all."  
Lady Sia stood up. He followed.  
"Thank you for having us, Doctor Strange."

* * *

 

"And how is he, this Sorcerer Supreme?"  
Lady Sia rolled her eyes.  
"Polite, professional."  
"You know what I mean."  
"Of course I do, Linda. This is why you're my favourite advisor."  
"So how is he?" Another eye roll. "Handsome? Strong?"  
"Yeah..." Her hesitation was hiding something.  
Linda's eyes gained a naughty gleam.  
"What about his magic?" Lady Sia tensed. Linda started laughing. "That good?"  
"He's a Sorcerer Supreme, so I expected it to be strong, but it's a gentle strength," the Lady tried to explain. His magic energy felt inviting and way too tempting for her good. "That I never saw coming."  
"Did you like it?" Now she was blushing. Great. "You're beautiful, milady. I bet he likes you, too."  
"My clothes made him wary. I'm not sure whether he believed my story, but I told him the truth." Linda was her best friend and knew everything. "Besides, I am unlikely to see him much."  
"While living together?"  
"He's got other things to do. I doubt he'll be able to keep us company at all times." Linda was grinning. "You're a seer. What do you know?"  
"Oh, I'm not ruining the surprise, my lady."  
Sia rolled her eyes fondly.

* * *

 

Exactly two weeks later, Lady Sia returned to Kamar Taj. Stephen, along with the masters of the other sanctums and Wong welcomed her. She briefly smiled at the Sorcerer Supreme, then they got down to business. They had 30 free rooms at Kamar Taj. Unfortunately, there were 31 guests.  
"I stand by what I said. I'm willing to part with my people," the Lady confirmed.  
"Right..." Stephen hesitated, looking at the other masters. "You will need to be housed at a sanctum." He was waiting for volunteers, but the other two masters were staring at him, waiting. "Guess that means you'll be living with me. Is that appropriate?"   
"Of course."  
He turned his head and muttered "Go prepare a room." To her surprise, his cloak detached itself and floated off. There was wonder and mirth in her eyes. Her childish fascination with his relic flattered him. "Let's get you settled in."

* * *

 

Lady Sia helped people move from her side. The girls rushed in, hurried. Eventually, just before the portal closed, the Lady entered. She carefully checked on each of her girls, making sure they were all safe and comfortable. Stephen watched her distantly. She seemed to be a kind leader.  
An old woman approached her.  
"Where will your room be, my Lady?"  
"At another place. Doctor Strange has agreed to house me at his sanctum." The elder bristled, but a frown from the Lady was enough to silence her. "There were 30 rooms available. I cannot complain. It was the number I requested. I rely on my advisors to watch over the girls when I am not around. I can take care of myself."  
"Of course, my Lady."  
Sia nodded and followed Stephen into a portal. The woman watched her go with a frown.  
"There is a permanent portal between Kamar Taj and the sanctum. I will show it to you after you get settled in." She was carrying a big sack of clothes and books. "This is your room." He opened the door. The cloak had brought lingerie and made the bed. It settled on his shoulders. Sia dropped her sack on the floor. "The door has a lock. Key is inside." She nodded and tried the lock. "Follow me." She shamelessly slipped the key inside her cleavage and went after him. He showed her the kitchen, bathroom, the portals to various places, the library and his office. "There is also an office next to your room at your disposal should you need a place to study."  
"Thank you. For everything."  
He nodded.  
"I'll be in my office for the rest of the day. My room is on the floor below yours, second from the stairs."  
"I can feel your energy. I'll find you should I need anything." Stephen nodded. He had yet to see her abilities, but there had to be a reason she was the Lady of the Temple.  
"Okay. Then I guess I'll see you later."  
"Have a good day."

* * *

 

Stephen later decided to check on his guest. He went to her office first. She was floating as she chanted, her hair and robes fluttering. A crimson energy spun around her. It made him a bit uneasy. Unlike his people, whose magic took the same colour, just different intensities, hers took various colours, according to the caster. Her crimson colour was gorgeous, but it seemed to follow her like a curse. He was briefly dazed by how beautiful she looked when she was in deep concentration, eyelids fluttering. He watched in surprise as the colour of his own magic began tweaking with hers. That was when her eyes opened. She slowly let her legs find the floor and easily regained her balance. A distant thought told him that she didn't need a relic to levitate.  
"How can I help you?" she inquired politely.  
"I was about to make dinner. I wanted to see whether you would join me." Her face lit up, but, just as quickly, her cold politeness took over again.  
"Yes, I would love to." She followed him to the kitchen and sat down, watching in fascination as he opened the fridge and took out several vegetables and some meat. He gestured with his hands and a few knives began cutting the food, the oven lit and the pot sat on the stove. "You don't have to be so formal," he said carefully. "We're of equal standing."  
She nodded, shrugging.  
"Probably, but I'm used to keeping formality around men. Most I met were men of war or needed my aid. I haven't really met a male sorcerer of equal rank before you."  
"Should I feel offended?" he joked. Lady Sia smiled, shaking her head.  
"No. I know they exist, even in my world. I just never met one so casually, only during dangerous missions and even then, very briefly. And your magic is fascinating."  
The food was cooking itself at a magically enhanced speed, a spoon occasionally stirring.  
"How so? Magic is magic. There are different kinds, but your world uses most of them. More than we do, at least."  
"Our library is at your disposal." Now he was getting excited. "We'll leave a copy behind, should you wish."  
"Of course I wish for that to happen."  
"I will make the neccessary arrangements. And you were right about our magic being more varied. It depends on our protective deity as well as individual talent. My talent in particular is feeling magic."  
"Feeling?"  
Now the plates came out.  
"Yes. I can feel everyone's particular magic signature. For example, now that I look for it, I can feel that your cloak has its own signature, slightly different from yours." The garment waved at her. She chuckled and returned it.  
"How does it feel?"  
It was an enormous effort of will not to blush. Lady Sia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling, then opened them again. Stephen was surprised by how much warmer her expression had become.  
"Strong. That's how I knew you had to be the Sorcerer Supreme. The others have some magic of similar signature, but you drown them out. I can feel the magical energy of this place only vaguely. It's a new feeling, but not unpleasant." She shrugged. "Probably because your magic is not offensive."  
"Offensive?"  
The pot moved over and their plates filled.  
"Thank you for the food." Sia began eating, smiling. "Delicious."  
"Thank you. Offensive?" he repeated his earlier question.  
"You know. You thought I'd be ruthless and bloodthirsty. Well, had you been that way, your magic would reflexively lash out at everyone. It would put pressure on me. But it doesn't. I guess you're simply a gentle soul."  
Stephen hummed in thought, chewing slowly.  
"And you got all that before I even started talking?"  
"As soon as you arrived at Kamar Taj, yes. Don't make that face. I needed to know who I was asking for help. I've felt many in my years as Lady of the Temple, not to mention earlier. I got a good grasp on your personality."  
He nodded.  
"Anything else?"  
"Thanks to my ability, I can manipulate various forms of magic. I feel them, then use them. So my magic can take various colours."  
"Is crimson your base colour?"  
"It used to be blue." She rolled her eyes. "The elders believed it marked my laziness."  
"Laziness?"  
"Why do you think I encouraged someone else to train to be Lady? It was too much work." He chuckled. "Still is."  
"I'm sure you're not a bad Lady."  
"Hmm... I'm better than my predecessor, at least. Also... not sure you'll believe this, but, back when I was a student and more recently, I met a time traveller from the future. He said history remembered me as the last and strongest Lady of the Aphrodite Temple. I might as well be, considering how much I had to fight to let my girls escape."  
Stephen stared at her. Now that he thought about it, her girls had seemed hurried and a few were roughed up, but he hadn't imagined a battle had taken place on the other side.  
"You were in a battle before you got here?"  
"Yeah." She chuckled at his surprise. "I'm a Lady, Doctor. I know how to look presentable no matter what. A change of clothes and I'm good to go."  
"Impressive."  
She didn't even look tired, now or earlier. Some of her apprentices had looked worse.  
"I restored my energy earlier by meditating. Your magic might not be offensive, but it was wearing me down in my weakened state." They had finished eating. The plates had gone into the sink and the sponge was washing them. She stood up and briefly faltered, a frown taking over her features. "It would appear that I require physical rest as well."  
"You could have asked me to help."  
"And give away our survival? No. I am the last Lady of the Temple, whether I like it or not. After the dust settles, we'll find another home."  
"You can always stay here." The offer had come out before he had thought it through.  
"This is not our home dimension. As much as I would love to stay by your side, I will have to return to my own world eventually." She had a point. He stood up, getting close to her. It was hard not to notice her dilating pupils with his medical degree. Was she going to faint?  
"Alright. Can you get upstairs?"  
"I'm fine." Her steps were secure as she left the kitchen. "Thank you for the meal and good night."  
"Good night."

* * *

 

The next weeks passed in a blur. Stephen got used to Sia. She would spend a lot of time at Kamar Taj with her apprentices, but, in the evenings, when most people retreated to their chambers, the two of them would meet in one of their offices or the kitchen and just chat. She knew a lot about magic, so they would talk about spells and various types of magic, exchanging knowledge. It was a pleasant change of pace.

* * *

 

"Doctor Strange," Sia called one day before entering his office. It was uncommon of her to seek him during the day.  
"Yes?" She had a student with her, a teenage girl with yellow robes. Potential future Lady. "What happened?"  
"Marie studied a few books from your library," the woman began slowly, as if expecting some backlash. Stephen didn't react badly, just nodded, encouraging her to continue. "And she came across this." Sia went to his desk and placed an open book in front of him. He frowned. It was the book which detailed time spells.  
"These spells require a relic which is in my possession only."  
Sia shook her head.  
"No, she managed to cast a few of them. That's her specialty, apparently."  
That surprised him. He'd thought that specialties were simply things they were better at than others, but, apparently, they were things only one person could do.  
"And?" he pressed.  
"She requires assistance with creating time loops, apparently." The woman stepped back, taking the book with her. He looked at the girl, who seemed appropriately nervous and guilty. They had agreed to share their library, but he hadn't mentioned giving access to his.  
"Alright. I guess I'll show her. Are your people familiar with the Mirror Dimension?"  
"Not under this name, but I believe it is what we call the Training Zone."  
"Can you cast it?" Stephen asked, looking directly at the apprentice, who nodded. "Show me."  
It was the Mirror Dimension. The three entered and looked around. Stephen moved his hands and began explaining.  
"I don't know how you can do this without the Eye, but whatever. I think you probably skip the whole 'open the Eye' part."  
"No, it helps me focus."  
"Alright then."  
Marie's magic was the same shade of green as the one he was used to. He showed her time loops, then got going with other tricky time spells.  
Sia didn't even attempt to join them, aware of her limits. Whoever would become Lady after her was bound to be very strong. Marie's specialty was time, apparently. Angela had already discovered hers, life. Rose's was reality. All 3 were incredibly strong and dangerous. Sia had done her best to instil a sense of camaraderie between them, not rivalry. She needed them to work together even after she died, not against each other. She could only hope.  
"Can I leave you two? My other students require attention."  
Marie's face said 'No, I've never been alone with a man before, please don't leave me', but her mouth moved differently.  
"If that is alright with Doctor Strange."  
"Sure. See you later."

* * *

 

In the evening, Sia joined Stephen in the kitchen.  
"I apologize for the intrusion in your library."  
"It's alright. I never explicitly gave you permission, so I'll give it now: as long as you respect our rules, I don't mind your people learning our spells. Your magic includes ours, anyway."  
"I wouldn't call it inclusion," Sia admitted slowly.  
"How so?"  
"Your people harness the energy of the multiverse in order to manipulate reality. My people use our inner energy, which is a lot more draining. We use our life essence. This is why it's more tiring for us. Your body gets tired of letting magic flow through it. My body loses its life support. Once you use a spell beyond your level, your body won't channel it. If I do the same, I run out of energy and die," she explained.  
"This is why the colours vary according to user. But you...?"  
"I use a combination of outside magic and my inner energy. I don't have much inner energy, unfortunately. So whenever I end up tapping into it, I risk my life. I'm only this strong because I can use outside forces, even to restore my own."  
Stephen hummed in thought.  
"So you're more like us than your own people."  
"Yes," the woman admitted with a sigh.

* * *

 

Lady Sia was at the main entrance when the Avengers quickly rushed in. Her dark red combat staff was immediately in her hands, ready for battle. The newcomers froze when they saw her.  
"Where is Strange?" The man (She assumed) who had talked was wearing a weird armour which kept him flying. She couldn't see his face or even any skin.  
"Who are you and what do you want with him?" Sia retorted.  
"Are you a friend of his?" This man was wearing a blue uniform and carrying a circular shield with a star on it. She could see his mouth at least. "We are and we need him."  
A portal opened and Linda rushed in.  
"I sensed your distress, my Lady. What happened? Who are these people?"  
"I don't know. They seem to know Doctor Strange."  
"Ha, he actually got someone to call him that?" The flying man asked. His amusement was obvious.  
Sia deduced that only a friend would make such a comment. Still, she pointed her staff at the red and gold armour and it landed when she motioned for it to go down.  
"What the hell? Friday, what's going on?" the man asked, scared.  
Sia spun the staff in her hands and the armour retreated into a triangle on his chest. Linda stared. Oh, this one was quite handsome. He staggered, wary and confused. The others took defensive positions around him. The woman threw a red blast of raw energy at them. Linda stepped back, letting Sia stop the blast with the tip of her staff. She drew it toward herself, then shoved it back. Their opponents were thrown away. The round shield richochetted off the walls and Linda extended her hands, freezing it midair. Dark green magic cloaked the object, flowing from her hands.  
"Don't break it," Sia ordered. Linda pulled the shield into her hands and scanned the material with a critical eye.  
"I'm not sure if I even can..." What was it made of?  
The strangers had now regrouped and were watching them warily, but not attacking anymore. The (un)armoured man stepped forward despite the others' warnings.  
"Whose side are you on?" he asked.  
"The one where it's polite to show your face when you speak to a Lady," Linda replied. "And very rude to attack people who live here."  
"You two live here? I thought Strange was a monk," shield-man said.  
"I'm moving in with him," (un)armoured announced. "Sorry, guys, the Tower is great, but one man with these two? That's all sorts of unfair."  
"They attacked us," the woman pressed.  
"Did they?" Linda liked this man more and more every second. "They disarmed me. If they hacked the suit, they could've blown me up, which they didn't. So they're not all bad." He stepped forward. Sia was resting her staff on her shoulder, casually armed, but not threatening. "I'm Tony Stark. Does my name ring a bell? We're the Avengers." The two women were confused. "Where are you from? Another dimension? With Strange, that's a genuine possibility."  
"We do in fact come from a different realm," Linda explained. "We moved in roughly a month ago. I'm Linda, advisor to the Lady of the Aphrodite Temple and this is Lady Sia."  
"The Lady of the Temple," he guessed. "Well, nice to meet you." Tony extended his hand in a greeting. Linda shook it with a confused look and Sia let her staff vanish to grab his hand. She was slightly more familiar with their customs. She looked at the other two.  
"Steve Rogers," the shield-man introduced himself. Linda let him have his toy back.  
"Wanda Maximoff." Sia smiled at the woman. Her magic was strange and slightly unpleasant, but it had a weird sort of order-in-chaos feeling.  
"Ask Merlin to introduce you to the Internet. You're missing out big time," Tony added. "Where is he? We kinda need him now."  
"Doctor Strange is unfortunately unavailable today," Sia explained. The Avengers visibly deflated. "However, I believe that the two of us can help you in any way he could."  
The three briefly glanced at each other. Sia had shown a great power by returning Wanda's attack. Linda seemed equally well trained.  
"Alright then. Let's go. We'll brief you on the way."  
Linda smiled and walked out first, following the armoured man. He had called his armour back, but left his face visible for the time being. Wouldn't want to offend the aliens.  
Sia was STRONG. Of course, Tony was pretty sure that being leader of the magic girls implied that she was the strongest of them, but still. They were fighting a very powerful magic user and she pretty much walked through him. Tony thought Stephen would have struggled a bit, though he had trouble convincing himself of that. Sia simply defeated the man, knocking him out, then tied him up, neutralizing his powers. Linda and the others didn't participate much. Sia had also disposed of the minions while Linda sealed off the gigantic interdimensional portal. And she didn't even seem tired. What the hell?  
"Our Lady is very strong," Linda told him.  
"I noticed."  
"Some say she's the strongest Lady who has ever led the Temple."  
"That makes me feel better. What are you two doing here?"  
"Humans from our world have lost faith in magic. The Temple was attacked so we sought refuge with the sorcerers of your world."  
"So you joined Strange's people?"  
"For a few months. We plan to return home and find a new place," Linda explained. "Though we could be persuaded to stay." She smiled, but it faded. "Not the Lady, though. She has a duty to lead us." Tony stood silent, assessing. "See, I'm a seer. My job is to know things. How about you drop by tomorrow and teach me about your world? Doctor Strange is... busy."  
"And I'm not?"  
"You're better at organizing your priorities. I may not be top, but I might be more interesting than some of your duties."  
He grinned.  
"Alright then, I'll drop by tomorrow."  
Sia was sitting next to Steve.  
"You coordinate the team," she noticed. "But you're not quite the leader."  
"What makes you say that?" he asked, surprised.  
"Stark didn't listen when you told him not to walk forward and talk to us."  
"Yeah, well..." He sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. "Tony is his own man." Sia tilted her head to the side in a silent question. "You must have some of those. The kind of person who thinks they know better."  
"Yeah, one of them is over there." She nodded towards Linda who, ironically or not, was talking to Tony. "My main advisor. Unfortunately for both of us, this kind of people are right more often than we'd like."  
He chuckled.  
"Quite unfortunate."  
"Though they do flourish when we let them know that." Steve watched her carefully. "I noticed that you don't quite seem willing to concede."  
"I don't want him to get full of himself. He's already got a massive ego." Sia hummed in thought. "What?"  
"Stroking his ego the right amount might be beneficial to you. Might make him easier to handle. Just a suggestion. I only lead 30 people."  
Steve nodded.  
"I'll put some thought into that."

* * *

 

Lady Sia went straight to bed when they got to the sanctum. Stephen was there, but she barely paid any attention to him. Linda stood by while the Avengers commented on the two women's abilities.  
The next day, around breakfast, Linda was, once again, at the sanctum. This time, in Sia's room. Stephen knocked, then slowly opened the door to find the advisor guarding her Lady.  
"Still asleep?" he whispered.  
"This fight was more exhausting than the one before we switched realms," Linda explained. "My Lady can use very powerful spells, but they wear her out. When she was young, the masters called her lazy, but she was just practicing with spells a little beyond her reach. She would sleep a lot, napping during classes and every free moment we had."  
"You don't use astral projections to study while resting?"  
"Her exhaustion is due to magic. What sort of energy does astral projecting use?"  
Stephen nodded.  
"Point taken."  
"Now fewer spells tire her like this, but she still pushes herself." Linda sighed. "I wish she didn't. She almost died once from sheer exhaustion."  
Stephen hummed in thought.  
"Can I try something?" Linda assessed him for a few moments, then nodded. He came to Sia's other side and moved his hands in some complicated gestures before he touched the Lady's forehead. His hands were glowing with his magic. The seer watched him carefully as sweat began forming on his forehead. Sia frowned in her sleep, eyelids fluttering. Stephen stopped the spell and took a few deep breaths, wiping his forehead. The Lady opened her eyes, looking around in confusion. Linda stared at her, then Stephen, who smiled.  
"I restored some of her energy," he explained.  
"Thank you," Sia said, pulling herself up. With a flick of her wrist, her bed look vanished and she looked presentable again.  
"Now don't waste the energy he so kindly gave you for looking proper," Linda chastised. Sia smiled and her advisor moved to let her get out of bed.  
Stephen shakily stood up. Sia was immediately at his side.  
"I only wake up when my energy is fully restored," she clarified, wrapping both arms around one of his. She evened out their energy levels, leaving both a bit fatigued. "I appreciate the help."  
"Anytime."  
Linda watched them with a smile, then went to the entrance. Tony was already there, looking around.  
"Hey there! I almost thought you'd ditched me," he commented. Linda went to him with a smile.  
"I'm sorry. My Lady just woke up and that was only due to doctor Strange's help," she explained with an apologetic smile.  
"What happened?"  
"Yesterday's battle exhausted her."  
"Oh, so she's not inhumanly strong. Good to know." Linda nodded warily. This man was not her enemy, but she shouldn't have been discussing her Lady's weaknesses with him. "Anyway, I brought you a StarkPad. Let's sit somewhere and I can start explaining the basics to you."  
Linda nodded and led him to a small office, where they sat on a couch.

* * *

 

"Did you ever feel lonely here?" Sia asked Stephen one day. He shrugged.  
"Occasionally. There's always the option of visiting Kamar Taj or the Avengers."  
"Guess so. Back at the temple, I was always surrounded by people. I don't only mean my girls. People would travel hundreds of miles on foot to get to me, to request my aid with their issues," she explained. "Your sanctum is so silent..."  
Stephen sighed. He had felt lonely before, but he'd thought it was just the way things were for sorcerers.  
"It's not that silent anymore, is it?" he asked with a smile. The Lady hid a blush.  
"No, I guess not."

* * *

 

When 3 months passed, Sia changed into casual clothes, cast an illusion to change her face and returned to her world.  
She mostly travelled from city to city, trying to get a feel for how people felt about temples with sorcerers. It wasn't too good.  
"Not yet," a man said casually, sitting down at her table. He looked like a minstrel, but she wasn't fooled. He was Merlin. The real deal. An ancient sorcerer whose specialty was immortality. "Did you go to that realm again?" Sia knew that he was careful about what he said and where, but she still looked around.  
"Yes. My girls are safe."  
"Safe and loved, I bet."  
Sia rolled her eyes. Dirty old man.  
"Just safe. Their Sorcerer Supreme went to great lengths to accommodate us."  
Somehow, the way she mentioned their ally amused the elder.  
"You should stay there for another few months," he advised. "I can tell that you're quite fond of this Sorcerer Supreme."  
"Nothing happened."  
Not from lack of attraction. She could unfortunately tell that Stephen liked her quite a lot, but they both kept a formal distance between them. Sometimes, when they had long days and one was exhausted, they toed the line with gentle gestures and fond words, but there was nothing illegal, important or interesting happening between them. Not that it couldn't. Eyes followed. Hands lingered. Voices dropped warm. Affection mingled where worry was expressed.  
"You speak as if something could happen." Sia looked away. "Your temple is down, barely even a pile of rocks anymore. Aphrodite already left you. What is there to lose?" The gentle support made her uncomfortable. It wasn't Merlin's style.  
"Aphrodite didn't leave us."  
"Really? Did you try any of her spells?"  
"No."  
"Give it a shot." Then he used a spell to make fire in his hands.  
"Sorcerers!" a man yelled. "Sorcerers!" Several men rose to their feet, weapons up.  
Sia's eyes widened. How could Merlin have grown so lax?  
"Try them now."  
Oh. She concentrated on the right type of magic and it flew through her, warming up her body. A red and pink gas covered the entire room. The men froze, then dropped their weapons. They'd grown lethargic and simply stared in wonder. To Sia's surprise, the women were in a similar state. That spell had never worked for women. She grabbed Merlin's wrist and left, trying not to seem hurried.  
"You're in love," the man whispered to her as they fled. She rented them two horses and they left the city. "I can't believe it," he said once they were alone on the road.  
"I don't understand."  
"You were lied to. All of you. Aphrodite does not demand chastity. It's the other way around. However, after the temple was built, we needed to limit your power. Those spells are dangerous and ridiculously powerful. So we told you that they demand purity."  
Sia froze.  
"Why are you telling me all this?"  
"You're the last Lady. You deserve the truth before it is lost. And you deserve to be happy after what you did to Dormammu. You did more for this dimension in 30 years than I did in 2000."  
Sia weighed his words.  
"Merlin, come with me. They'll want to hear all this from you."  
"I'm not welcome in that world anymore."  
"Why not?"  
"Ask your Sorcerer Supreme. Now go. I'll be fine. It's not my first time living in hiding."

* * *

 

Apparently, the spell had been strong enough to linger. Sia noticed the way all the apprentices and masters turned their heads after her as she walked through Kamar Taj. She'd dismissed her disguise, so her rank deterred anyone from approaching, but she felt their energies pulse with affection and arousal.   
Once she got to New York, she bumped right into Stephen. Shit!  
Sia's mind went straight into overdrive, but she heard his shocked gasp. She stepped back. On his end, it had been the cloak who dragged him away. She searched for his gaze as it ran over her body in a mixture of confusion and erotic attention. Her clothes left a lot to the imagination, so her physique wasn't too distracting.  
"How did your trip go? You were missing for a few days," he finally said. Oh, his voice was even deeper.  
"I met Merlin. He got me in trouble so I had to use one of Aphrodite's spells. Hence this... umm, attraction you probably feel. It should fade soon enough." Perhaps it was a good time to go. His eyes had finally settled. On her lips. "Maybe we should talk aft..."  
Stephen snapped out of it at the same time and quickly blurted out  
"You must be tired from your trip. I apologize for holding you up."  
"Thank you. We shall further discuss this later."  
Sia fled to her room. She wasn't even ashamed of herself for it.  
The spell had made everyone in the room fall for her. The sudden switch had left them dazed, thus it could seem similar to other spells which actually froze people in place. It probably even affected Merlin, which explained why he had been in such a hurry to get rid of her.  
A terrifying thought took root in her mind. What if the spell got stronger around her object of affection? That would explain why he'd looked so overwhelmed.

* * *

 

Stephen zapped straight to his room where he let loose the moan he'd been holding back during their conversation. He'd expected the unnatural arousal to leave once he was no longer around the sorceress, but nope, still going strong. He had things to do and a cold shower wouldn't cut it.  
"Leave." His cloak floated off his shoulders and hovered in front of him. It seemed worried. "I'm fine." He was extremely uncomfortable about doing what he was about to in front of anything remotely sentient, his relic included. It seemed to understand and flew off.  
Back still pressed against the wall, he made quick work of his pants and lowered them down his hips. He bit his lip. How did such a spell even exist? And why?  
When he touched himself, he thought of her. He couldn't have imagined her looks of lust throughout her stay. What did she like? What would she let him do to her? He groaned. What other spells did she know? Oh God, what could she do to him? The simple side effect of a spell left him like this. His hand sped up. What else did she know? Perhaps she could make him cum with just a word. Or prevent him from cuming. He was already leaking just thinking about it. What did she hide under those robes?  
He came with a muffled groan, free arm pressing into his mouth. It was one of his more satisfying orgasms, probably helped along by her magic. He slowly caught his breath, relieved that he didn't feel like he'd overdosed on Viagra anymore. With a few hand waves, he was dressed up and clean again.  
Satisfying interruption aside, he still had things to do. Stephen left his room, rubbing his sore hand.

* * *

 

After resting, Sia stormed into their library and began searching, until she found their forbidden book. Honestly? Fuck forbidden things. Sia was the Lady. These were her books. She easily undid the seal.  
Soon enough, she began reading, right in their temporary library. Merlin had been right. That book detailed that the further one of the girls went with a man, the more power Aphrodite would lend them. Love, pure, genuine love was one of the strongest possibilities, but, in its absence, sex would do. So her spell had been on steroids. The strongest spells would work better around their loved one.  
When she returned to the sanctum, Stephen was meditating. She could feel the way magic swirled around him in balance. A few minutes later, he met her in the kitchen.  
"The lingering effects of the spell seem to have worn off," he noticed.  
"I'm glad," she replied. "I wanted to ask you about Merlin." He nodded. "Why is he exiled from your world?"  
"Merlin used magic in front of the uninitiated. As you should know, our knowledge is not shared with many. We chose this path for ourselves. Your friend ignored our rules and risked revealing us to the public, so we abandoned him. Somehow, he befriended a king and became his advisor. That was fine. However, he used several spells which altered the course of our history. So we banished him," Stephen explained. "But is he still alive?"  
"Yes. His specialty is immortality. How long ago was this?"  
"1500 years, give or take."  
"He was young and reckless. He's changed."  
"I'll join you next time and be the judge of that. I understood that you should not go back yet?"  
"Merlin used magic and everyone around us tried to kill us. It was a pretty direct way of telling me 'not yet'."  
"He still doesn't quite sound like the kind of person I want roaming our realm."  
"Yeah, it just occurred to me that you might have a point. Merlin makes a bit too much trouble."  
"Anything else?" He had started eating, relaxed.  
"Our purity rule was a lie." Stephen chocked on his food. "I will still respect it, at least until I tell my girls about this, but it was a lie."  
"Oh."  
"I'm sorry about whatever that spell made you feel. It was a lingering effect. I... I didn't know it was so strong."  
Stephen hesitated, staring at his plate, then met her eyes with determination. He seemed to be pondering his next move. Sia soon started dreading the moment he would speak.  
"It didn't make me feel anything I didn't already feel." She'd been right. "It just made it more potent. And I think the spell got stronger than you remembered because you feel something already. Would it be wishful thinking to say you feel it for me?"  
He'd gotten bold, perhaps encouraged by her earlier words.  
"I think you ignored my saying that nothing changes until my girls know," Sia said slowly.  
"Purity is a different concept from love," he pressed. "Your people have been unable to tell the difference for many generations."  
Sia stood up.  
"We may be refugees under your roof, but that does not give you the right to insult our customs," she stated. "Good night, doctor Strange."  
"Whoa! Wait a moment, I didn't mean it like that!"  
"Then how did you mean it?" she snapped. He didn't answer. "Yeah, thought so. Drop it. I know. I know," she repeated. "Whatever you want to tell me, I'm already aware of it. So drop it." Stephen nodded and stepped back.  
"Good night, Lady Sia."

* * *

 

Tony fiddled with the newest Spiderman suit. Peter had been adamant about disabling the Instant Kill Mode and, although reluctant, Tony had to listen to him. He was also doing some improvements for Karen. He hummed in thought. Not a bad name. Perhaps he could let Peter name some of his inventions...  
"Boo!"  
"Holy shit!" He fired with his watch at the threat, who proved to have been Linda. She'd defended herself with a dark green shield and now she was laughing. "That's not funny! I could've killed you!"  
"Nu-uh! I'm strong," she teased, dismissing the shield. "You're too tense, Tony."  
"I'm Iron Man, of course I'm tense!" She grabbed his shoulders and squeezed lightly.  
"It's not good for you."  
He rolled his eyes. Linda had become a constant visitor in his lab. At first, she used various excuses, but it soon became obvious to both that she simply liked spending time with him.  
"Do you mind?" she'd asked shyly.  
"No. I enjoy the company."  
So she kept dropping by. He liked having her around, though the chastity rule was a total and complete bummer.  
Linda's lips pressed against his. She wasn't an experienced kisser, but she was a quick learner. His hands drifted to her ass and squeezed. Her tongue invaded his mouth. Before things got too heated, she stopped.  
"Soon," she promised.  
"Huh?" She chuckled. "Don't mock me. I'm already thinking with the wrong head." He groaned at the hand pressing against his crotch.  
"Then let's take care of you, shall we?"  
Tony let her push him against the table. Linda was quite creative with the concept of purity. He couldn't complain about lack of attention.

* * *

 

A few days later, Sia had a meeting at Kamar Taj with all her girls. She informed them of her findings from her trip. After she communicated the removal of the chastity rule, there were many murmurs among them.  
"I am not encouraging you either way. Tradition sends us one way, truth another. This is your choice, the way it should be. However... I do encourage you to read the forbidden book. I removed the seal." More murmurs. The old advisor was openly glaring at her. Linda had a neutral expression on her face. The seer had probably known. Sia had met with her advisors beforehand, but she hadn't told them about the purity issue. "Also, I am considering various scenarios for when we do return. My abilities are well known, as well as those of my advisors. However... Marie, Angela and Rose are almost fully trained. While I am considering ensuring the forwarding of our temple by naming a succesor, I am also considering splitting you all in 3 small groups, each with one of them. Perhaps one of us as well, in disguise. We need a fresh start. I will think it over. Please continue being on your best behaviour. Meeting dismissed."  
After answering some questions, only the advisors remained. The old hag was almost foaming at the mouth.  
"Removing the chastity rule? Splitting us up? Why don't you just abandon us all? Are you even thinking about our future or are you too busy canoodling with that man?" the old woman yelled. Linda flinched. It was an untruthful and hurtful accusation. Sia had done her best not to let things progress between her and Stephen.  
The Lady saw red. She stood up roughly and stomped towards the elder. The other woman quickly backed off. Blue magic was glowing around Sia's hands. Her natural type.  
"You will not be making this sort of assumptions about me again. There is nothing between me and Strange. Our people's future is my main concern, but, unlike you, the safety of the girls is my main priority and I will ensure it even at the cost of not being their leader. You will obey me and if I hear you questioning my decisions one more time..."  
"You need me. You need my advice..."  
"I DON'T NEED SHIT FROM YOU! Real heroes die fighting! You're just a coward with a loud mouth! Your stupid decisions killed the one Lady who could have been the best the Temple had ever seen!"  
"Marisa was..."  
"She would have been a better Lady than 6 of you and me combined and you just let Lucia kill her!" The magic in her hands began taking several colours at once. Linda took a step forward, but the elder kept speaking.  
"I'm not afraid of you. I see past your crimson robes." She was thrown into the door, which opened under the pressure. Sia floated after her. Linda went to grab her wrists.  
"Please, don't do this. Not here. We're guests," she pleaded with the Lady, who glanced at her friend and nodded, lowering herself to the ground. The elder was pushing herself up. This time, she wisely kept her mouth shut.  
Sia spun around to make a dramatic exit, but her eyes met Stephen's. He'd been walking down the hall like a normal person, when he heard screaming and an old lady flew into the wall. He was rightfully confused. Sia looked at him, then the elder. Linda was unsuccessfully hiding a smirk.  
Sia went straight to Stephen with determination, grabbed the front of his robes and yanked him down into a kiss. He froze. Her lips were warm and sweet and pressing onto his roughly. Before he could remind himself to respond, she pulled back, glared at the elder, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him after her.  
"Let's go have sex." It sounded like an order. He turned to give Linda a questioning look as he was dragged off towards his bedroom. The woman had a hand over her mouth and was shaking with repressed laughter. The elder was giving him a death stare.

* * *

 

"Okay, can you catch me up to date here?" Stephen asked when he was shoved into his bed. His cloak had left him about halfway through the trip to his room. Sia moved to straddle his hips.  
"I am the Lady of the Aphrodite Temple and I do whatever the fuck I want. The Temple is gone and so are the stupid rules that made us avoid men like the plague. Out of two advisors, one is already doing her best to get some iron dick and the other is being an old frustrating bitch. I know who I wanna listen to and that's the seer. Are you alright with this? You didn't push me away so I assumed you were."  
"Yeah, I'm good, like you back and all that and what do you mean iron dick? She's flirting with Stark?" Sia nodded. Stephen groaned, but dismissed the information. The woman he'd been lusting after for the previous months had just declared that they would be having sex and was now straddling his hips. Anything else short of the world ending could wait (and even that could, considering there were other people who could take care of it). "Okay, I'll care about that later. Are you sure you want this and aren't just doing it out of spite?"  
"Yes. I would've jumped you the first moment we met, but that would have been inappropriate."  
"First moment we met?"  
"I'm a feeler, Stephen." She'd never said his first name before. "Your magic energy made me want you before I even saw you. I just had time to compose myself."  
She slid her crimson robe off her shoulders, revealing more of her creamy white skin. A white fitting top, made mostly of bandages, was covering her chest and black stretchy pants went down to her mid calves. Her robe fell somewhere on the floor.  
"Do you want this or not? You'll have to lead, since I've literally never been touched by a man like this."  
He took off his gloves, revealing his scarred hands to her. She didn't stare the way he expected her to.  
"Have you been touched in other ways?" She kept her eyes trained on his face when he slowly grabbed her thighs, moving up.  
"The usual combat stuff. Punches, kicks. Hair pulled when I was young." Her breath hitched when his hands moved to her waist. She had a perfect body, in his eyes, curves in all the right places. He had been unable to even imagine it properly due to her robe. "Please be gentle."  
"Of course. Tell me if you want to stop." Sia nodded.  
"Doubt I'll need to." She was practically dressed. He pulled on her bandages, unable to find a way to undo them, but magic fixed the issue. She moaned when his energy wrapped around her body. "I wish there was a way to let you feel this," she whispered.  
"I'll just content myself with enjoying the view for now."  
Sia smiled. She knew she was beautiful. It was hard not to with all the attention men gave her, even those who didn't respect her. In her youth, it had been both a blessing and a curse, but now, now she wanted this man to enjoy her, to savour every moment they spent together as much as she did. It could be either lust or love. That was of little consequence to her. The closure was exhilarating. When her head hit the pillow, his magic drowning her, she thought she found heaven.

* * *

 

Tony didn't even blink when Linda appeared in his lab, having resigned himself to it. She had a sad grin on her face.  
"What happened?" he inquired. He returned her hug and hummed when she kissed him.  
"Sia jumped Strange."   
An eyebrow went up.  
"And?"  
"It was unlikely," Linda said with a sigh. "This was... one of the few key choices that decide our future. I never really bothered with it because it seemed impossible, but apparently I forgot who my Lady is under all those manners that were drilled into her." His fingers danced on her waist. Linda was just content to be in his arms. "Say, Tony... do you want me to stay? In this realm, I mean."  
"What brought this on? Of course. But you said you couldn't."  
"I will stay by my Lady's side no matter what. This is the only path where she might actually not return to our realm. It would be a fitting ending, and yet..." She hesitated. He cupped her cheeks with both hands.  
"What do you see?"  
She looked into his eyes with a smile.  
"I see happiness. I see you and me, together. Maybe. I also see you pushing me away. I don't see why." He tensed. "I know everything, Tony. You don't have to tell me. I saw," she pressed.  
"Everything?"  
"In the past, yes. The future is full of posibilities."

* * *

 

Her hair was disheveled, all over the bed, somehow on his arm and below it at the same time. Her eyes were still closed in bliss, even after her breath had evened out. She had yet to move from the position her orgasm had left her in. Stephen shifted, releasing her hair, wrapped and arm around her waist and pulled her close. She smiled, opening her eyes.  
"I have half a mind to kill the old hag for telling me this was forbidden," she muttered.  
He chuckled.  
"That good?"  
"Better."  
Ego properly inflated, Stephen squeezed the woman in his arms and magically made the blanket cover them. Her body had begun feeling cold. She moaned lightly.  
"If you ever want to turn me on, use your magic close to my body. Doubt that'll ever stop working," Sia muttered.   
"I noticed," he whispered, kissing her neck.

* * *

 

Tony had kissed Linda first, back when they first got romantically involved. She had been the first one to pull back and set boundaries. He had respected them, but made it clear that he was always willing to go further. So, when he felt arms wrap around his waist as he was bent over the newest StarkPad, he didn't think much of it until he felt them tug at his belt.  
"Linda?"  
"Yes?" She kissed his neck, gluing her body to his.  
"What are you doing?"  
"I would think that to be obvious."  
"It is," he replied, turning around in her arms. "I just want to make sure." He pulled her close. "Tell me what made you change your mind."  
"I love you. I risked losing my position if I did this, but since my Lady did..." She shrugged, smiling when he kissed her nose. His kissed spread to her cheeks, eyes, forehead and, finally, he captured her lips in a mind-numbing dance of tongues.  
"You don't have to follow her in this."  
Linda had to remind herself to focus on his words.  
"I'm not following her. I'm simply taking advantage of a removed restriction."  
"Alright."  
With a flick of her wrist, her robes fell down somewhere on the floor, leaving her in the bandages covering her chest and mid-thigh pants.  
"Oh. I've always wondered if you were naked under all that clothing." Linda chuckled.  
"Surprise, we're not."  
"Fantasy ruined." She lifted her hand to remove her bandages, but he grabbed her wrist. "Don't. I wanna unwrap you myself."  
Her cheeks reddened, but she nodded.

* * *

 

"You love him?" Linda asked Sia a few days later. The Lady sighed and looked away.  
"Yes, but we can't be together."  
"You can. As your advisor, I feel like I have to let you know everything I know." Sia nodded warily. "We could stay. You have 3 potential ladies. Choose one, name the other 2 advisors and let them go."  
"I couldn't possibly leave the fate of everyone on their shoulders. It's too heavy a burden at their age."  
"You were much younger when you became Lady and had to choose and groom an advisor yourself. I say it's only fair. Not to mention the fact that their combined strength can bring a country to its knees."  
"Which is why they still need guidance."  
"You can still visit them from this side."  
Sia hid her face in her hands.  
"It's not the same. I'm still young. It's my duty to hold this title..."  
"Send the old hag with them." Sia scoffed. "Damn it, Sia, can you be selfish for once?"  
"No. I didn't want this rank because I knew what responsibility it entailed. Now that I have it, I'll just have to do my best."  
"History remembers you as the strongest and last Lady. Don't you think people would know where you went if you reappeared one day?" Linda pressed. "We can stay here and be happy."  
Sia stood up. So that was it. Linda had more selfish intentions.  
"Nobody's forcing you to come with me," she hissed, then walked out. Linda followed.  
"You misunderstand, my Lady."  
"I do not. But no worries, I'm old enough to only need one advisor. Stay with your Tony."  
As Sia was stomping through the sanctum, she passed Stephen, who gave Linda a questioning look. She responded with a begging one, hands clasped together in a prayer.  
"Hey, what happened?"  
Sia spun around to glare at them both.  
"Don't drag him into this," she growled.  
"Why not? He's your reason to stay."  
"What is happening?" Stephen asked.  
"I'm trying to convince her to stay here, in your world. Wouldn't you like that, too?" Linda pressed.  
"Yes, but this isn't about us." Both women stared at him in surprise. "This... This is bigger than us. She's your Lady. Her duty is to her people."  
Linda froze, speechless. Sia felt her heart melt. This man... She couldn't believe he understood.  
"Yeah, that's about right..." she muttered, going to him. Linda watched as her Lady squeezed the man in her arms, burrying herself in his chest.  
"But there are other ways..." Linda said weakly. Sia stepped away from Stephen.  
"I will only make the best choice for the Temple."  
Linda took in the arm the man had kept around her Lady's waist and how vulnerable her face looked as she leaned into him.  
"And I will do my best to advise you as a seer," the advisor pressed. "Have a good day." Linda fled.  
Sia sighed and looked into Stephen's eyes.  
"Thanks for having my back there."  
"You're welcome? I only shared my thoughts."  
"I know and that's why I love you." His eyes widened. "Don't say it back. I just want you to know."  
Stephen just nodded.

* * *

 

"I've been meaning to ask for a while now. Why do you know sex spells?" Stephen asked Sia as he playfully kissed her neck.  
"I'm the Lady. I know all spells."  
"Yes, but, first of all, you were a temple of virgins and secondly, you said no man had ever touched you like this."  
"There are ways of pleasing men that preserve our virginity," Sia explained, flicking his nose. "But I never had to use them. My reputation preceded me and my robes deter any sort of unwanted attention. Some of my predecessors were not as lucky."  
He hummed in acknowledgement. Sia moved her hands in what had become a familiar pattern and he moaned, body heating up like he was already inside her. She chuckled, grinding against his (already hard) dick. He tried to grab her, but she pinned his hands down. His pleasure levels skyrocketed and he arched his back, letting out a sound between a gasp and a scream.  
"How?" he chocked out.   
"It's not at max yet," she informed him, her voice taking a seductive quality as she pressed a hand against his chest. "Do you want me to push it there before I take you?" He nodded, breathless. "Are you sure? I'll have to add something that doesn't let you cum, too."  
"Yeah." She flicked her wrist.  
Stephen was lost. He sank into a bottomless pit of white pleasure. It felt as if he was continuously climaxing for the entire time she was riding him. Sia gasped, moaned and panted, but he couldn't hear her because of his own voice. His magic slipped, but she managed to cage it around them.  
"Sorry," he gasped. "I... I can't..."  
"I got you..." she assured him. "I got you... let go..."  
So he relaxed and the sheer volume of magic flowing through him surprised her. He was like an open, overflowing tap. She wove a net and held onto it, keeping it contained.  
"Sia..."  
"I'm close..." she whispered, sliding a hand down, close to where they met in sexual congress, to rub her clit.  
"Sia."  
He forced his eyes to open, wanting to see her as she slid over the edge. Their gazes met and the look on his face, coupled with the way he bucked his hips did it for her. Sia came with a moan of Stephen's name, body shaking as she rode her orgasm on him. Her spell holding him back wavered and he came with a scream, senses overflowing in pleasure past what she had been doing to him.  
Sia's barrier weakened and Stephen's magic overpowered it, flowing around them. The Lady whimpered from her lover's chest where she had collapsed earlier. The smell of grass flirted with her nostrils. Sia looked around and numbly pushed herself up. Stephen groaned weakly.  
"Ah, I'm sorry." With a few hand gestures, the unnatural pleasure vanished. He sighed in relief as he regained his higher brain functions.  
"You ruined me," he declared, rubbing his face. "God, you ruined me for other women." Sia's nervous chuckle got his attention. "What's wrong?"  
"Umm... where are we? I mean, if it's an illusion, it's a pretty neat one."  
They were in an open field and the grass at his back should have stung, which it did once he acknowledged it. The sun was shining above them, no clouds in sight.  
"Sorry." Stephen waved his hands and the couple found themselves back in his room at the sanctum. "That was..." He searched for the right word.  
"Amazing," Sia supplied. She moved to let him slide out of her. Stephen got rid of the condom with a hand flick.  
"Yeah... I love you," he blurted out.  
"Stephen?"  
"No, it's not the sex, which is out of the world. I've thought about it a little and I really feel that way. I love you," he repeated for good measure.  
A smile took over her features and she leaned down to kiss him.  
"I love you, too."  
He wrapped his arms around her and magically made the blanket cover them. Sia relaxed, content to just cuddle naked.  
"I figured I never explicitly asked you to stay," Stephen whispered in her ear. Feeling her tense, he quickly added "Hear me out. I understand that your duty is your duty and all that, but it's always implied that I want you here. I had to make sure you don't doubt that." Sia nodded, looking into his eyes. Stephen smiled when he felt her relax. "I would be extremely happy to have you by my side and would feel a great loss should you choose to leave."  
She returned to lying down on top of him, her mind now darker than before. A few moments of silence followed, which made Stephen grow increasingly awkward, but he didn't dare talk anymore. He'd laid it all out now. The ball was in her court. She'd seen all his cards.  
"I wanna stay, too," Sia eventually admitted. "But I can't."  
"I know. But even if you spend a few years with your girls, get them settled, I'll be waiting."  
There was nothing she could say against that. This man... He understood her in a way nobody else could.  
"Thank you."

* * *

The Avengers had called Stephen with a mission about some dumbasses summoning a demon. He'd gone alone, leaving Sia with her girls. She barely thought about it. He could handle himself and the whole thing didn't sound particularly dangerous.

* * *

 

So when Wong practically burst into the New York sanctum while she was showing the 3 potential future ladies a high level spell, it came as a surprise.  
He dragged her through a portal, the 3 following, along with Linda, who seemed genuinely frightened. Sia mentally groaned. A panicked seer was all the encouragement she needed.  
"They managed to summon Dormmamu," Wong explained. "Strange went to face him, but I dont know what he's doing. Help him, please."  
The normally calm man was rightfully agitated, but that wasn't helping matters at all. The other Avengers were freaking out in their own ways. Sia headed straight into the portal.  
Tony grabbed Linda by the shoulders.  
"What is your stupid leader thinking? She's going to die with the wizard!"  
"She's defeated Dormmamu before," Linda supplied with a sullen look, "but the cost is great."  
Everyone went silent, staring towards the portal.

* * *

 

Stephen was down. Of course the stupid demon had managed to find a way to escape time loops. Honestly, Stephen would have been disappointed had he not, but that didn't mean he had a much better idea. His powers had grown over time, so it wasn't like he was a novice scared little sorcerer anymore. But it still wasn't quite enough.  
A strong energy blast sent him tumbling to the ground, Cloak quickly pulling him away from a huge, metaphysical fist. He couldn't keep it up like that.  
"Your attempts are pathetic, sorcerer. You've run out of tricks. Admit your defeat. Your world is mine."  
"Not this time," a new voice stated. Stephen's eyes widened as Sia floated down, stopping between him and his nemesis. Her crimson magic now turned dark, intertwining with black and blue. What was she doing? She would die!  
"You!" Dormmamu seemed to recognise her. "How many worlds do you defend?"  
"Just two," she replied easily, then glanced at Stephen. "You're lucky you didn't hurt him, otherwise it would become all."  
"Nonsense!" Another beam. Sia made a shield of red, blue, black and orange magic. He could feel her tugging on his power. The shield held, still shiny after the blast. Sia moved her hands, the runes on the shield changing when Dormmamu swung his fist down to crush them. A strong, bloody red blast fired, evaporating the demon's fist. He faltered, pulling back. Sia was panting.  
"This world is under my protection. If you touch it again, there will be severe consequences." Her red magic was engulfing her. A dark, sickly colour, like blood. "Understand?"  
The demon growled, but didn't reply. The portal behind them started growing smaller. Sia glared at the demon, then held a hand out and the portal froze. She helped Stephen up and they left, then closed the gateway.

* * *

 

On the other side, Sia collapsed. Stephen managed to catch her, but he was too weakened himself, so they crashed together to the ground. He pulled himself up and looked at her. The Lady was pale and sweaty, panting sickly. Linda was by their side immediately, along with everyone else.  
"Sia?" Stephen called, checking her pulse. Erratic. Her eyes were unfocused. "What's happening?" he asked Linda. The seer had tears in her eyes. No...  
"She's dying. She exhausted her life force to manipulate dark magic." Linda sniffed. "She doesn't have enough energy to stay alive."  
"No!" He'd restored her energy before. He could do it again. The hand gestures were familiar. Linda grabbed his wrists, stopping him. She was sobbing now.  
"It won't be enough!" she wailed. "Don't waste your energy!"  
"It's not a waste! Not for her!"  
Sia vanished from next to them. They both froze. Linda stood up and saw the three potential future ladies around their master. She stumbled towards them on unsteady legs. Stephen ran over. The two of them bumped into an invisible barrier.  
"Angela, you can't!" Linda called. "You know you can't!" Her specialization was life, but a perfect reanimation required a constant drain on her magic. It was a huge effort, almost impossible. It would kill her in a matter of days.  
"She can," Rose retorted. "I rewrote the laws of reality in this dome. Once her soul is bound, it stays there."  
"What about outside it?" Stephen asked. He loved Sia, but binding her to one place was beyond cruel.  
"Time will not claim her yet. I bound these laws to her body forever," Marie explained, looking at the older sorcerers.  
Linda was just staring, frozen. Stephen nudged her.  
"Will it work?"  
"I can never see Rose and Marie's results," Linda pointed out.  
The three lifted their arms and closed their eyes. Magic gathered around them in huge quantities, spinning. They began chanting, sharing their energies for their spells. Their colours mingled, red with green and white, creating a weird ocean of colours.  
Tony wrapped an arm around Linda's shoulders. The seer leaned onto him, eyes wide and breathing hard.  
"They're gonna do it," she whispered. Her visions were shifting. Suddenly, she could see Sia's future. "My Lady..."  
Stephen fell to his knees. Wong approached the dome.  
"Magic from your realm is stronger. Less bound by rules. More personal," he observed.  
The three girls grunted in pain. Sia stirred. One by one, the girls fell down, panting. The Lady gasped in precious air.

* * *

 

Sia slept for 3 days under the watchful eye of the 3 who had revived her. Stephen tried to stay by her side, but he was dragged off to other duties. On the 4th day, when he entered her room, she was already talking to the future ladies and Linda. She offered him a tired smile.  
"I was going to send for you after the formalities were over." He nodded with a distant look in his eyes, trying to hold his composure. "We can finish this discussion tomorrow ," she then told her girls. The women left, walking past the Sorcerer Supreme. As soon as the door closed, he was by her side, holding one of her hands and staring into her eyes. "Say something, please."  
His voice got stuck in his throat at first, but he forced himself to form words.  
"I thought I'd lost you forever."  
With the words came the tears. He was trying to hold back, but it wasn't really working. She pulled him into a hug and he finally let go.  
"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I just wanted to protect you."  
Stephen squeezed her.  
"Thanks, but don't do it again."  
She chuckled wetly, not saying how she didn't think she'd be able to, even if she wanted to.  
"I love you," she said instead.  
"I love you too."  
"I'm staying in your world, if you'll still have me."  
That made him pull back to look at her face. His hands were shaking on her shoulders.  
"Always."  
Sia smiled against his lips when he quickly kissed her. As they parted, she wiped his cheeks, trying to control her own tears. Stephen just squeezed her in his arms, let her rest her face against his shoulder and press into his warmth.

* * *

 

"There are two types of magic in our bodies," Angela explained. "Ability and vital magic. Vital magic keeps us alive. Ability magic is freely used. Our Lady does not have a big quantity of ability magic, so she used her vital energy in spells a lot. Naturally, when she ran out, her soul lost its bond with her body. I restored as much power as I could, but..." she shook her head, "if she ever uses strong spells, she's risking her life." Stephen listened in silence, unreadable. Linda looked apologetic. She'd known all that. "Easy spells are ok, but your vital magic will never be the same, my Lady."  
Sia nodded, looking down.  
"Alright. Guess I'll... I'll just have to avoid fighting." Angela nodded. "And I'll have to step down as Lady."  
"You can still channel Aphrodite's magic." Probably better than all of them.  
"Yes, but still. I've come to a decision regarding my successor." The young woman's eyes widened. "No spoilers."  
"Alright."  
Sia pulled herself up, leaning onto Stephen briefly before she tried to walk. She looked at Linda.  
"Gather everyone. Meeting in 30 minutes."

* * *

 

Stephen helped her walk to the meeting room. Sia didn't like his silence. It sounded like bad news.  
"Once and for all, do you want me to stay?"  
He met her eyes for what seemed like the first time since Angela started speaking. Sia forced herself to relax as she tried to read him. Did he not want her by his side if she was powerless?  
"I want you to be safe. If that means here, it's even better."  
Worry. Okay, that, she could deal with.  
"I'll be fine. Safer here than home. And I'm not powerless. Aphrodite's magic doesn't use my own energy and her spells are as strong as ever." Her fingers tapped against his chest, red energy twirling between them. It was a lighter shade, almost pinkish. She leaned up to blow a bit of air into his ear. "That's where most of the sex spells come from, anyway."  
Stephen chuckled and teleported them to the meeting room. The girls were already flowing in.  
"I'll be in the library. Call me when you're finished."  
Sia smiled at him and nodded.

* * *

 

"I have reached a controversial decision, but I doubt that surprises many of you, considering my behaviour in this dimension," Sia said, earning a few amused smirks. "I'm staying in this realm. My powers have dwindled and I wouldn't be of much help upon your return. Linda will probably stay with me. However, my other advisor will join you and guide you all through a new age. May she not disappoint me." The old woman's eyes widened as she met Sia's. "As for the future Lady... this is where it gets controversial." Linda muttered something under her breath. "There will be no future Lady. Instead, all 3 successors will form a small council, leading you together. Each of them shall appoint a successor when the time comes, as well as an advisor as soon as possible. That is all."

* * *

 

Merlin was playing the flute under a tree when two figures approached him. He lifted up his hat with a finger, smiling at the couple. The woman easily sat next to him, nudging his bag away. He ignored her, gaze focused on the man.  
"Sorcerer Supreme, I presume," he said slowly.  
Stephen nodded, scanning the man warily. They were both in disguise, but, as sorcerers, they could see each other. Merlin didn't look as old as he'd imagined. Probably the whole immortality thing.  
"Yes. Merlin..."  
"Of King Arthur. In person." The man smiled, then turned towards the woman next to him. "Lady Sia..." His smile faltered. Somehing wasn't right.  
"Is it safe for my girls to return?" she asked.  
"Yeah, but..." He pulled back, eyes running over her like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What did you do?" Merlin glanced at Stephen, then returned to Sia.  
"I fought Dormmamu again. And barely made it out alive," she explained. "Will you watch over my people?"  
Merlin nodded slowly.  
"Always."  
"Thank you." Stephen helped her up. Merlin followed.  
"This must be where our roads part," the older sorcerer said. Sia nodded. "Then I thank you one last time for your efforts and wish you happiness in the other realm." His eyes met Stephen's. "I believe you earned your rest."  
"There is no rest while we are alive, but I thank you." Sia left through a portal, leaving the two men alone.  
"Are you here to grant me entry into your world again?" Merlin asked.  
"Still unsure about that. Sia would like me to, but can I trust you to respect our rules? The ones you already ignored in the past?" Stephen replied, suspicious.  
"Your people need to wake up and smell the magic." That made the Sorcerer Supreme pause. Wasn't that a saying from his realm? Sia had a very formal pattern of speech, only picking up sayings and memes after months.  
"You're dangerous."  
"Haven't I always been?" The cloak shifted ominously on Stephen's shoulders. "Long time no see, relic. Must say, you got a tough one on your side." The sorcerer didn't seem impressed. "I'm not going to beg to be granted entrance. I sort of miss your realm, but then again, I don't. Your people are boring. Right now, you're probably the most interesting one around there."  
"It's not like you respected the interdiction." Merlin didn't even try to appear innocent. "I'm not going to ask how you snuck in, just why."  
"Your magic is fascinating."  
Stephen weighted the words. Merlin had tried to learn magic from Kamar Taj, but never succeeded. Was he still trying, over 1000 later?  
"Thank you. I believe I know enough to make a decision about you."  
"Which is?"  
"I won't remove the restriction. It's not like that will stop you, but at least the difficulty might serve as a reminder."  
Merlin had the audacity to laugh at him!   
"I like you more than the last one," the old sorcerer declared. "Please look after our Lady."  
"I will."  
Merlin resumed singing as soon as the portal closed behind the other man.

* * *

 

# Epilogue  
"How much longer will you continue this charade? Mortals are so dramatic," Loki complained. Stephen promptly ignored the god. "Be reasonable, sorcerer, I have not been dangerous for years."  
"Then you should continue being on your best behaviour," a feminine voice advised. Loki almost chocked on his own spit.  
Sia had changed her robes for more form-fitting ones, but the skirt part stayed. However, now, instead of one long gown, she wore a red tunic, not unlike Stephen's, and the skirt was reduced to two pieces of material covering her front and back. She'd kept the pants.  
"I have yet to make your acquaintance, milady," Loki began, bowing. Sia had a naughty smirk as he kissed her hand. Stephen was smiling, himself.  
"Sia Strange." The god's smile fell.  
"My wife," the good doctor made sure to point out. Loki grimaced.  
"It is a shame that such a beauty is wasted in this place."  
"Measure your words carefully," the woman warned. "While I appreciate your compliments, my husband is the one deciding your future."  
"I am aware. Perhaps you could sway his decision?"  
Sia shrugged. Loki noticed that both man and woman were rather amused. When he thought about it, she was not the first woman he had been so attracted to.  
"Ah, I see." A few gestures and the woman didn't feel like the most beautiful being anymore. Still beautiful, fortunately. He had been fooled like that before. "You must be of the Aphrodite temple."  
"Old Lady, in fact," Sia explained.  
"It is unbecoming of a lady to use such spells on an ally."  
"I thought it would make you complain less."  
Stephen was making a potion. It would limit Loki's powers, of course leaving room for the Sorcerer Supreme to restore them should there need be. He offered the glass to the god.  
"Indeed, it changed the nature of my complaints," Loki pointed out, downing the glass with a grimace. "Watch yourself around such women, sorcerer." The warning seemed genuine. Stephen hummed thoughtfully. "Great men have been led astray."  
"No worries. She's trustworthy."  
Loki left with a warning glance. Huh. Maybe Stephen could go easier on the god. His concerns seemed sincere.  
Sia slid one of her hands in his and he met her worried gaze. She wouldn't hurt him.  
"Stephen..."  
"I know. I love you."

* * *

 

The sanctum wasn't silent anymore.


End file.
